help! neighbours burnt window cill

costaerer

Basically me and my OH live in a 1st floor flat. our bedroom is round the back of the property and we often smoke out the window. we have lived here for 3 yrs and have smoked the whole time.

my neighbour downstairs's window cill has been slightly burnt with cigarette ash. not badly and you can only tell from above also he wouldn't see it from inside and as its round the back and not visible from looking straight ahead at it.

anyway he was apparently showing some round, not sure what this means, possibly selling his flat, though i doubt it?! he saw the marks and called my husband ranting and raving. etc...

so me and my husband wrote him a letter, apologising, were really embarassed and well pay for the damage. now were both students so really dont have any spare cash, but we did offer...actually maybe were nieve because we didnt think he would take us up on it.

anyway yesterday a letter in our postbox, including a quote from a window company saying its going to cost £325 as they have to take the whole window out, replace the cill then refit it.

this is alot of money we definately cant afford. if it was £100 then maybe...

any suggestions?? there are too many marks to be able to jst paint it or cover it.:silenced:

avstar

You could try getting some more quotes from window companies to check its not an overpriced quote.
And also am I right in thinking the quote is just to replace the window sill, not a whole new window?

I think you should pay for replacement of the window sill and if thats a fair quote then thats that, but check that it is a fair quote.

muckybutt

Is it a UPVC window cill or wooden ?

costaerer

upvc.
its for just the cill but they have to take the whole window out to replace the cill.

muckybutt

Its a far bit of work taking the window out, glass out - unscrew frame - cut seal - take out and replace cill - refix frame - refit glass - reseal window.

£325 seems a fair price for all the work, couple of hours for two guys probably.

explumber

before involving window company.
ask your neighbours permission, if its all right to attempt a repair.
to do this, use very fine grade wet and dry emery cloth ( halfords), to remove the ciggarete stain. once dry polish out with duraglit metal polish, available at asdas/ tesco etc.

good luck.

costaerer

explumber wrote: »

before involving window company.
ask your neighbours permission, if its all right to attempt a repair.
to do this, use very fine grade wet and dry emery cloth ( halfords), to remove the ciggarete stain. once dry polish out with duraglit metal polish, available at asdas/ tesco etc.

good luck.

thank you. but i would imagine, once 'sanded' it will need filling then painting.

Dippypud

Try toothpaste on a damp cloth first, it's mildly abrasive like T-cut, but cheaper.:D

costaerer

im going to go down and take a better look at the damage later, but its sort of melted the plastic so there are little dents in it as well as black marks.

explumber

costaerer wrote: »

thank you. but i would imagine, once 'sanded' it will need filling then painting.

as long as they are only surface marks. what i have suggested should remove them.
cost for very fine emery cloth and duraglit no more than a fiver.
as opposed to the cost of removing and replacing window.

booty40uk

What would you do if you were him?